


An Archivist's Musings

by gatekat



Series: Short Things [25]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Dragons, Fae & Fairies, Gen, Ghosts, Mages, Mermaids, Pre-War, Predacons, Sirens, Snippets, Sparkeaters, Supernatural Elements, Terrorcons, Vampires, Were-Creatures, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-04 15:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18346340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatekat/pseuds/gatekat
Summary: As an archivist Orion Pax was literate and spent almost all his waking joors plugged into the massive datanet that Cybertron had encouraged to spread far beyond the empire's boarders. He knew far beyond what his formal education implied. It also meant he knew how to expose or bury any tidbit of data he was motivated to. That brought many unusual beings with just as many ways to pay for his help.





	1. Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> I blame [WandersUnderStarlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WandersUnderStarlight/pseuds/WandersUnderStarlight) and [What Makes A Monster](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1157918) for this insanity. This isn't related to WMAM, it's just where my brain went while reading.
> 
> This is a 'verse where all new mecha are sparked/Vector Sigma to the best of most knowledge.

Beyond the empire we are often called _transformers_ , robots in disguise, for our tenancy to scan a local vehicle for our alt. It's implied we do it so they don't know we're there rather than trying not to stand out too much or adapt to local conditions. It turns out that there are more than a score of Cybertronian races that are thought of as myths but are quite real. They manage this through a combination of sigma-type abilities, social structure, appearance and allies. Each of these races has a society as complex as our own and interconnected with ours and each other. All combined it is a social structure that challenges even my ability to navigate and yet a full seventeen percent of the registered population walks it every orn. Those that the government has not registered adds another twenty percent to the world's population.

It really is remarkable.

You are likely wondering what has possessed me to write all this.

A war is coming the likes of which will make Nova Prime's pale. I've seen the signs all my existence. Now I know that the war is crossing the lines and will engulf every race and hidden corner of not just our world but every land we have ever touched and many not yet found.

When all is done this and what my fellows are doing will hopefully stand as a record of what once was here.


	2. The Introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An overview of Cybertron and the hidden world.

An overview of Cybertron and the hidden world first.

To understand all I can find of mecha follow this link. There is little need to write much about my own kind as we have documented ourselves very well. I have tried to filter out as much bias as possible so you can know the truth rather than the party line of political convenience. 

For the purposes of this document there are five categories of living mythical beings. I have divided them such as they have no system they agree on.

Former Mecha: These beings were created as common mecha but no longer are. Whether it is a sigma ability, skill, infection or some combination not even they are willing to admit if they know. These include mages, vampires and ghosts. It is possible that other than being created seemingly normal mecha they have nothing else in common.

Shapeshifters or Weres: Often called Garou or Bete among their own kind these races have at least one additional alt mode and often have two extra. The extra forms are always related to a normal mechanimal common when and where they first appeared. All lines of shapeshifters have a mechanimal alt. Most also have a monstrous bipedal war-form that is half mech and half mechanimal but far larger than either. No one line is bound by the moon, sun, stars or other triggers on shifting. It is an ability they control as well as common Cybertronians control our transformations. Despite the temptation do not consider these beings triple changers. Their extra forms come with substantial mechanimal coding and is tied to sparkline. Any scans to a new alt have no effect on the mechanimal and war-forms. There are over fifty types if you go by their mechanimal form though they gather themselves into only eight great clans. They all reproduce like mechanimals do to pass on their special abilities.

Magic Mecha: Another category that is more for my convenience than any truth that they are related. These beings all have special abilities that would be a sigma ability if a common mecha had it but are consistent across the species and thus are not sigma abilities as we understand them. For the most part they claim new members of their kind simply appear. They include fey, mers, sirens and zastario.

Monsters: Terrorcons, predacons, the Dweller, dragons. Some are animals. Some are fully sentient, a couple even transform into mechanoid forms. The unifying factor is that they are big and very dangerous to common mecha through physical size and weaponry. Many jurassanoids would be in this category if they still functioned.

Cryptid Animals: From gremers to the fetcher of sparks these are creatures that fall within the normal range of mechanimals except for the fact that they are believed to be myths.

My first section will tackle former mecha.


	3. Vampires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Facts about vampires according to vampires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: This is a 'verse where all new mecha are from Vector Sigma.

Vampires.

Near immortal beings that look like common mecha but fuel on living energon. While a normal mecha is capable of functioning indefinitely with the will, maintenance and luck to avoid fatal damage these beings do not show their age as long as they remain fueled. They require no regular maintenance and do not need repair as long as they can fuel well. A medic can repair one, reducing the fuel cost of one repairing itself. However no vampire has successful integrated an upgrade they did not have the foundation hardware for when they became a vampire. Even if completely crushed and dissembled they do not cease to function. They will enter a state of suspension called torpor where they remain until they have sufficient fuel or repair to move again. How vast a vampire can self-repair is directly related to how much fuel they use for it.

Vampires have an interesting relationship with energon. They can't process normal energon of any variety not even medical grade which can be put directly into a mecha's lines. High grade has no effect on them. Boosters, 'hibs, syk and other drugs have no effect. Not even painkillers work. What does affect them is what's in the energon they drain from their fuel sources. If that mecha is overcharged, drugged or diseased it will affect the vampire though for how long and how severely varies greatly based on the vampire's experience, how much of their total energon was contaminated and how hard they focus on fighting the affects. 

To be mobile an undamaged vampire requires only a fraction of the energon a similar mech requires for the orn. Thus one who drains a mech of similar size dry - which will deactivate the mech - will only need to fuel once every forty orns of normal activity. At the time of writing most vampires have adopted a culture of having one or more regular donors that they only take a few orns worth from at a time. While most admit freely that this is done primarily to avoid the attention of hunters many have also noted that even if they didn't need to they would maintain such relationships for the advantage of having a meal handy and guards while they recharge.

Vampires can fuel on mechanimal energon. Most claim it tastes bland but some prefer it. Those that prefer it often have a small stable of large domestic mechanimals such as metalcattle, chronohorses or even warhounds or more exotic creatures. It is very much to personal taste though they do tend to select types that are large enough to fuel from and suffer no serious ill effects.

And interesting side note on mechanimals. Any type of mechanimal that the vampire is not completely comfortable around tend to respond badly to their presence far more than they would to a normal mecha. Depending on the basic personality and training of the mechanimal it may attack, run or ferociously defend its master. So city-raised vampires tend to do okay around felids and canids but not around the larger domestics and nothing wild while vampires who were raised near large domestic mechanimals are continue to not rouse them and the handful of vampires who prefer wildlands don't seem to aggravate anything mechanimal unduely.

On recharge what happens with a vampire is very different from normal mecha. When a vampire is in recharge they are effectively in involuntary stasis. There is no booting one up early. Each will be in that state for the same length of time as is typical for their frametype to recharge. Despite the common belief that vampires are forced into recharge by sunlight or the local rising of the sun it is not true. Most do recharge during the daylight because they do not like bright light so they select the brightest joors to be unaware. 

Vampires are sensitive to ultraviolet light in particular so those who have any need to be out in daylight take exceptional care of their finish, often wear extra plating and specialized optic lenses to shield themselves. I have only heard one confirmed case of a vampire being seriously damaged by light and that was a prototype weapon. Most have experienced discomfort and occasionally pain but nothing serious enough to require additional energon to recover from.

A vampire's reaction to holy relics and blessed spaces is the primary indicator that the Unmaker had a hand in their creation and continuation. As a corruption of Primus's creation things deeply imbued with His power are at best unpleasant, often forcing them to remain at a distance and some are capable of obliterating a vampire. Many vampires recount that even Primus's designation when spoken with a command to stay away works similarly for a time. This is not universal and not even they are sure whether it is the individual speaker, the individual vampire or both are responsible. Their standing theory is that only those who believe Primus is real and will answer their call can do it. Which makes sense to me if it really is a concentration of His power that drives the vampire away then the one calling on Primus to send power through them would have to believe it is possible. Strangely to me the most painful holy relics are those dedicated to healing. I can't think a reason and the vampires don't contemplate it much. They simply avoid things that hurt like most beings.

A vampire can give some of their energon to a normal being, both mecha and mechanimals, to give them greater strength, speed, healing, damage resistance and even more. This energon will be used as the being needs to for these special effects or to sustain themselves. A quarter cube of vampire energon will sustain a mecha for an orn. By all accounts this energon must come from the vampire's frame the same way a vampire must feed from a living frame. As such it is possible for a vampire and a couple properly sized donors to survive on each other indefinitely so long as no one is damaged and has to heal themself. The effects of continually fueling from a vampire causes the mortal to become more vampire-like. This includes a sensitively to ultraviolet light, deep recharge, resistance to drugs of many kinds and a lack of aging. However once they no longer have any vampire energon in them they revert to a normal mecha and all delayed maintenance will become apparent within the orn. This can lead to rapid desegregation and even deactivation if it has been long enough and the mecha has not seen to their normal maintenance.

How to create a vampire is not nearly as simple as myth would have one believe. It takes a lot more than a bite or curse. In broad terms to create a new vampire a vampire must drain the subject dry, feed them a significant amount of their vampiric energon and perform several short rituals. If it works the new vampire will go from gray to living colors and enter their recharge. When it boots up it will be starving, mindlessly hungry to point it will attack and dry to drain anything with energon, mecha, mechanimal, vampire or anything else. It is only when it has sated this hunger intelligence begins to return and with that comprehension of what has happened. This is the point when a vampire is most likely to extinguish. Even when the process works not all new vampires can accept their status and extinguish within orns.

While there is no proof of why the process only works some of the time the standing theory is that mecha who can become vampires have been predisposed to it by the Unmaker in a lesser version of whatever He did to create the first vampires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: questions on the subject are welcomed by the author.


	4. Mages

Seemingly normal mecha who can manipulate the energy around them through study and will. To be honest I'm sure there is more to it than just study and a strong will. One taught me a couple cantrips; the mage equivalent of sparkling games. I can do it but the drain exceeds the value of using for me. I can perceive the value of the more potent spells though I believe that whatever allows mages to cast them it not something we all have. I doubt it is a sigma ability but I do believe that it is a spark gift of some kind.

As far as mages know there is no theoretical limit to what they can do with magic though it is a rare mage that can cast the most powerful spells. The energy to create the effects is drawn through the spark and frame. The more powerful the spell the greater the strain on both. It is documented that casting a spell too powerful for you can deactivate. It literally tears the frame apart while the energy causes the spark to explode.

This is where it gets more complicated. The above description matches four very distinct groups. While they all agree that they manipulate energy by will and training they are also adamant that the four types are not differences of training but differences in the origin of their power. I will try to explain those differences.

There are two ways to study the magic of the mages. 

The most common and easiest is what I have a tiny hint of training in. They are weavers of spells. The magic is used by performing pre-designed chants and motions, occasionally with objects. They can lock this energy into items that others can use. Creating a new spell is a complex process that is often dangerous. It's possible that the danger involved has as much to do with how few things do not already have a spell as the danger of dealing with the unknown. Spells as assigned difficulty levels to give a mage an understanding of how experienced they should be to attempt it. They have divided their spells into many schools of related effects and most mages focus on only one school of spells. The adventuring mages we know from legends and stories are generalists who give up the advantages of being a specialist for the ability to learn a wide swath of spells to better survive uncertain conditions.

The second type that is called a mage is often referred to as a wild mage. I haven't actually met one yet so this is second hand information. While both sides agree they use the same kind of energy and will to manipulate it their methods vary greatly. Where the traditional mage needs a spell already created to cause an effect a wild mage makes their spells up on the fly. The advantage is being able to do anything they can imagine. The disadvantage is that control of the power comes more slowly and even the most experienced wild mages occasionally have spells go spectacularly wrong. Myth says that the Sonic Canyons were created by such an event. If true the amount of power involved must have been immense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: questions on the subject are welcomed by the author.


End file.
